The Operation
by Agent R
Summary: Richie complains of massive pain, Duncan takes him to the doctor only to hear he's fine, when a second opinion begs to differ, Richie flips out when he finds he's going under the knife.
1. Default Chapter

The Operation  
  
Duncan returned from his run and was ready to open the store, Tessa was already up and around, but he didn't see Richie anywhere.  
  
"Where is he? Is he pretending to be sick again?" Duncan asked.  
  
"I don't think he's pretending," Tessa said, "he's been in bed for some time and he hardly even wakes up long enough to go back to sleep."  
  
"What'd he say?" Duncan asked.  
  
"He didn't say anything, that's the odd part, normally I'd expect him to say 'Tessa I'm sick', or 'Please leave me to rot in peace' or 'Be still my alien body', but he won't say anything to me," Tessa told him.  
  
Duncan went into Richie's room and found him still asleep, he slapped his shoulder to wake him up. Richie got up and looked at Duncan, but didn't say anything.  
  
"What's your scheme this time that you have Tessa worried sick that you are?" Duncan asked.  
  
Richie grunted and pointed at his throat, Duncan could only think of one logical reason, "sore throat?"  
  
Richie grunted even louder as if to say 'no', he grabbed a pencil and notebook and wrote something down and handed it to Duncan, it read: I can't talk, I have a massive pain spread from my mouth down to my throat.  
  
"IN your mouth?" Duncan asked.  
  
Richie nodded.  
  
"Maybe you just need to get up and act alive," Duncan said.  
  
Richie grunted as if to refuse and pulled the covers back, but Duncan pulled them off, "come on, get up, you'd be surprised what getting out of bed does for a sore throat at times."  
  
Half an hour later, Richie started talking, but in a low voice and very slowly, "All of a sudden, last night my chest started hurting, then it went away, then my throat started hurting, I thought I was getting the flu, now my mouth hurts from the inside."  
  
"Maybe you have a tonsillectomy," Tessa said.  
  
"I doubt it, and I wouldn't bet that there's a connection between that and your chest hurting, but maybe I should take you to a doctor," Duncan said.  
  
"I don't need a doctor!" Richie jumped up.  
  
"Tessa, go call Doctor Freeman and tell him we'll be coming by," Duncan told her.  
  
"I hate doctors," Richie grunted, "and what if he finds out I have a serious problem that could kill me or something?"  
  
"It could be nothing Richie, but I want to make sure," Duncan said.  
  
***************************************************************  
  
Come an hour later, Richie was in Doctor Richard Freeman's office, sitting on an exam table, holding shut a hospital gown when Doctor Freeman came in.  
  
"Good day Mister Ryan, I have your test results," Dr. Freeman said.  
  
"Wonderful, I'm clinging to life by a thread and you're going to tell me I'm failing Algebra," Richie sarcastically sighed.  
  
"Now let me get this straight, you say that first you have pains in your chest, then your throat, then inside your mouth?" Dr. Freeman asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I see.Well quite frankly Mister Ryan, I don't know how to put this rather than there's nothing wrong with you."  
  
"What?" Richie asked.  
  
"The tests show that there is nothing wrong with you physically," Dr. Freeman said.  
  
"Doctor, I don't think you understand, last night I was at a point that when I was in bed, my chest was hurting so badly I couldn't even get up out of bed.Then my throat was hurting, worse than any you get, it was too sore to swallow, talk, even breathe.Now my mouth hurts, it hurts too much to eat, it hurts too much to breathe in, it hurts to talk, how can you say there's nothing wrong with me?" Richie asked.  
  
"I said there's nothing wrong physically," Dr. Freeman said.  
  
"So what are you saying?" Richie asked.  
  
"Well I understand that you hit your jaw on a pointed tip of a large bronze statue a few weeks ago," Dr. Freeman said.  
  
"Yeah, Mac had this statue of a guy from the Civil War ready to put peoples' eyes out with a sword, and I walked into the business end of the blade," Richie said, "What's that have to do with anything?"  
  
"Did you receive much sympathy during that time?" Dr. Freeman asked.  
  
"I guess, some from Mac, a lot of it from Tessa, but I still don't get what this has to do with anything," Richie said.  
  
"Well I understand that you came from a string of foster homes when you were younger and you didn't receive much attention, it could be that your brain has triggered a relapse of pain to gain more sympathy," Dr. Freeman said.  
  
"WHAT?" Richie asked.  
  
"Psychosomatic pain, Mister Ryan," Dr. Freeman said.  
  
"What are you? My physician or my shrink? I'm getting out of here, MAAAAC!" Richie called.  
  
Duncan came into the room instantly, "Is something the matter Richie?"  
  
"Yeah, Doctor Freud here says I'm imagining this."  
  
"Mister MacLeod, I have run every test known to man on your son, I'm not finding anything, he's perfectly healthy physical wise, but this sudden pain he's having.it could be functional."  
  
"Functional?" Duncan spat.  
  
This certainly was not a word often used to describe Richie.  
  
"Do you find a problem with that word?" Dr. Freeman asked.  
  
"Yes I do," Duncan replied.  
  
"Well then I have another for you," Dr. Freeman said.  
  
"What is it?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Mental."  
  
"Mental?" Duncan repeated, "Well let me tell you Dr. Freeman, Richie might not be the most trustworthy person in the world, and he might have bad taste in friends and certainly worse in music, and he may have noticeable trouble watching his manners around company, but as sure as I stand on this Earth, my son Richie Ryan is NOT mental.Now if you can't find out what's wrong with him, I'll find somebody who can! Come on Rich, let's get out of here."  
  
"Gladly, as soon as I find my clothes, some 60-year-old male nurse stole them," Richie said.  
  
End of chapter 1 


	2. Chapter 2

The Operation Chapter 2  
  
"That doctor was no help whatsoever, I've never heard such nonsense, Richie a mental case," Duncan muttered.  
  
"Perhaps now you'll consider seeing my doctor," Tessa said.  
  
"No, Richie is not going to see your doctor, that's even worse," Duncan told her.  
  
"Dr. Rubenstein is a wonderful physician," Tessa said.  
  
"Dr. Gladys Rubenstein is a wonderful physician to you," Duncan said.  
  
"Are you insinuating that if she were a male doctor, Richie could go?" Tessa asked.  
  
"No, no, no, it's just that Richie's already having enough trouble with himself, I don't want him getting in trouble with a lady," Duncan said.  
  
"Duncan, have you seen the poor boy since you got back? He's on the couch, refuses to move a muscle, he's exhausted, he's in pain, if you won't take him to the doctor, I will," Tessa said.  
  
"Don't be crazy, Tess, of course I'll take him, I'm just wishing Richie were well enough to cause trouble with your doctor," Duncan told her.  
  
Tessa walked over to the couch and shook Richie to get him up, he opened his eyes slightly to see what she wanted.  
  
"Richie, I'm going to take you to Dr. Rubenstein to see if she can find out what's wrong with you."  
  
Richie put a pillow over his head and applied pressure to it on his ears.  
  
"Richie, you saw Dr. Freeman and that didn't work, Dr. Rubenstein works differently than he does, maybe her tests will show something so we can find out what to do with you," Tessa told him.  
  
Richie shook his head under the pillow, Tessa grabbed the pillow and took it away from him, Richie got up slowly and apparently willingly. He figured he better get this over with as soon as possible. Tessa went to make an appointment with the doctor, Duncan decided to have a word with Richie before he went.  
  
"Richie, about what happened at Doctor Freeman's office, I suppose I could've found a different choice of words to describe you...but...you'll have to pardon me if I sound like a jackass now and then, I'm 400 years old and this is my first time having a 17-year-old around like you."  
  
Richie picked up his notebook and wrote down somethingg and handed it to Duncan, it read: What you said about me at the doctor's was more praise than I used to get in a month.  
  
"You mean to tell me that no one you stayed with couldn't say anything nice about you?" Duncan asked.  
  
Richie shook his head, and started writing again: I never gave them anything nice to talk about.  
  
"Well I find that hard to believe," Duncan said, "sure you might now be a bit annoying, but there's always a plus side to that."  
  
Richie scribbled down another note: Not in my case.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
"Well Mister Ryan, you appear to be in perfect condition, clearly you are a very healthy person, however...."  
  
"You can't find anything wrong with me," Richie muttered.  
  
"I'm afraid not," Dr. Rubenstein said.  
  
"Let me guess," Richie forced the words from his mouth, "you think it's psycho-simatic?"  
  
"Psycho-SO-matic," Dr. Rubenstein pronounced, "and no, I don't think that's your case, I know you're in pain, I can see it, you keep holding your breath in, you don't talk much, you're not swallowing... But I'm afraid it's nothing I can find, well I understand that you had a run-in with a bronze statue, temporarily damaging your jaw?"  
  
"Only if you consider swollen for 2 weeks damaged...."  
  
"It could be related to that incident, it could be you damaged it more than you know and this is just the aftermath."  
  
"I highly doubt that....."  
  
"Well, you may need to get some more tests run, I'm going to recommend a few doctors, maybe they can find something and I can't."  
  
Duncan and Tessa waited outside, and when Richie came out they were hoping to hear some good news.  
  
"What did she say?" Tessa asked.  
  
Richie handed them the list of doctors recommended.  
  
"She didn't find anything either?" Tessa asked.  
  
Richie took out his notebook and wrote what Dr. Rubenstein told him.  
  
"Well I highly doubt this is the aftermath of anything, but we should see what these doctors have to say," Duncan said, "maybe they can find what's wrong with you."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
However, the next list of doctors all ran the same tests and said it was mental, an aftermath, natural pain, and one doctor had a different theory.  
  
"He said it might be cancer, but he'd had to run more tests to be sure," Richie said.  
  
"I highly doubt it's cancer," Duncan told him.  
  
"But what if it is?" Richie asked.  
  
"Richie, you can take my word for it, I'm going to call in an old friend of mine and get a second opinion, if you have anything, he'll find it," Duncan said.  
  
"Why didn't you think of this before?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Because I just now remembered where he's located," Duncan told her, "until I was sure I could get him, I didn't want to say anything and get your hopes up."  
  
Duncan went to call the doctor while Tessa stayed with Richie, right now the last thing they needed was him panicking and doing something drastic.  
  
Duncan went through his book and found the number, but all he got was the man's answering machine.  
  
"Hello, this is Doctor Martin Connor, I'm currently unavailable at the moment so leave a message at the sound of the beep."  
  
"Martin, this is Duncan MacLeod, I need you to come to..."  
  
"MacLeod, what's going on?"  
  
"And I thought I was haunted," Duncan muttered, "Martin is that you?"  
  
"Yeah, I just got in, so what's the problem?"   
  
"Do you think you could come to Seacouver, I----a friend of mine has a problem."  
  
"Sure, I'll be over by tomorrow, what's the problem?"  
  
"Well, you see I-----it's a long story, in short, I got a teenager here, he's having pains in his mouth and the doctors think he's imagining it and one thinks it's cancer."  
  
"What?"   
  
"They can't find anything in their tests, I figured you've been a doctor for 200 years, maybe you could find something," Duncan told him.  
  
"No problem, you still at the address you gave me last time?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay, I'll be there in about 17 hours, what's the guy's name?"  
  
"Richie Ryan."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Oh what?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Nothing, it's just that I've heard of him, troublemaker."  
  
"Yeah, you come here and you'll see why he's a troublemaker, he's going to get even worse as time passes," Duncan told him.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
The next day, after a confusing introduction, Martin got started with the tests, during that time, Duncan and Tessa waited in the next room.  
  
"What do you think it is?" Tessa asked.  
  
"I don't know, I've never seen a case like Richie's before," Duncan said.  
  
"Well what if it's fatal?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Well, even if it is fatal, I wouldn't put it past him that he'll come back an even bigger pain in the neck," Duncan said.  
  
"Duncan!" Tessa slapped him.  
  
"I'm just trying to lighten the mood, don't worry, Tessa, Richie will be fine, one way or the other."  
  
After a while, the tests were through and Martin came to a strange conclusion.  
  
"What is it?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Well, I took some x-rays, and if you look here, you'll see something I found rather disturbing," Martin said.  
  
"What is it?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Well, I reversed the x-rays so the boy's skeleton would appear lighter, now do you see this large black thing in his body?" Martin asked.  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Well, I'm not 100% positive, but I would have to say..."  
  
"Is it a growth?" Richie asked.  
  
"No, not at all, but I would have to say that it's a foreign bacteria built up into a..."  
  
"A what?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Are you telling us he has a FUNGUS growing inside of him?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Well, in a way, yes, you see, it's apparently taken base and main control in your chest, moving a root up in your throat, and starting another base in your mouth, if it's not removed, it'll keep on growing, and this seems to be digging into your metabolism, your stamina..."  
  
"So what are you saying?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Check him into a hospital, surgery will have to be performed immediately to get it out."  
  
"Immediately?" Tessa asked.  
  
"You see, the real formation of the fungus is in your chest, and it's generating more through the root in your throat, so if I open your chest, and remove the main fungus, all strength and power will be gone, and the root will disentigrate and that of what's built up in your mouth will remain too weak to continue by itself and in itself disentigrate as well, it's very simple," Martin told him.  
  
Richie got up and headed downstairs, but Duncan caught him at half-way and pinned him on the stairs.  
  
"Richie, I know this isn't what you expected or even wanted to hear, it's not for me either, but you have to go through with the surgery," Duncan told him.  
  
Richie shook his head and tried to get loose, but Duncan kept a tight hold on the boy, "Richie, this thing's already built up in your chest now it's doing the same in your mouth, you don't know how bad your condition can get, you have to go through with the surgery."  
  
Duncan could tell that Richie had become upset and scared by this sudden news, but he also knew that it was something that had to be done. While Martin called in several professional medical assistants, Duncan and Tessa took Richie to the hospital and checked him in. 


	3. Chapter 3

The Operation Chapter 3  
  
A/N: Okay, so in the last chapter, I made Richie's condition something totally impossible, but that's what it's called fiction for, this is the final chapter, hope you enjoy.  
  
As Richie awaited Martin to come and roll him into surgery, he currently had his hands full with Duncan.  
  
"Open up," Duncan said.  
  
"Uh-uh," Richie gritted through his teeth and shook his head.  
  
"I know your mouth hurts, Rich," Duncan told him.  
  
"Mhuh," Richie mumbled as he nodded.  
  
"It's because you have a mushroom growing in there, now look, Martin said to see how far along the second base has come, do you want this operation to work or not?" Duncan asked.  
  
Richie grabbed his notebook and scribbled down a note and handed it to Duncan: How's this doctor heard of me before?  
  
"Well he was in Seacouver for a short amount of time, then he went to Denmark, then he came back here some time ago, then when I called him, he was on a plane heading to New York for business, then he hurried back over here. I think somewhere along that period of time, he came to hear of you," Duncan told him, "now come on, are you going to open your mouth or am I going to have to jerk it open with a pair of pliers?"   
  
Richie unwillingly opened his mouth, it was almost impossible for Duncan to see the fungus growing in there, but sure enough in the back it was, a nurse came by for a minute to tell them that the doctors would be arriving shortly.  
  
Richie grew tense and dug his nails (what short ones he had) into the bed.  
  
"Oh come on Rich, the operation's not going to be that bad, they'll give you an anasteshia, roll you into surgery, come a couple hours, you'll be awake and you'll be back to normal," Duncan told him.  
  
Richie worked up the strength in his mouth to ask, "they're not going to slip and cut my head off, will they?"  
  
"Richie, you are going to be fine, you have to remember, I've known Martin for 350 years, he knows what he's doing," Duncan told him.  
  
In came Martin, along with Dr. Steven Loeb and Dr. Thom Loren. They put Richie on a gurney and gave him an anastethic before they rolled him down to the OR, down the hall, Duncan met up with Tessa, who seemed more than anxious for the operation to be over.  
  
"Are they sure they know how to do this?" Tessa asked, "this is the first time I've heard of a case liek Richie's."  
  
"Same here, but I think considering he's been studying medical for 200 years, he should have some clue as to what he's doing, so if anyone can help Richie, he can."  
  
"He's only 17, how in the world could he have gotten this?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Medical problems like this know no age limit, Tess, but I have to agree, of all the people who could have something like this happen to them, I never figured Richie would be one of them," Duncan said.  
  
Duncan turned to Tessa and saw that she was crying, this whole ordeal had been a lot on all of   
  
them, but she seemed to be taking it the hardest, he tried to console her. "He's going to be allright Tess, the doctors know what they're doing. Besides, think of it this way, before you know it, he'll be back at home yapping his head off."  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
After the surgery was over, Richie was put back into his room where Duncan and Tessa awaited the anastethic to wear off, after a few hours, Richie finally came to.  
  
"Look who's alive," Duncan said, "So loudmouth, how're you feeling?"  
  
Richie grunted and turned around.  
  
"Allright, how's your mouth?" Duncan asked.  
  
"My mouth?" Richie asked.  
  
It was then that he noticed he wasn't in pain, "well what do you know? I suppose Dr. Frankenstein did know what he was doing...except it still kinda hurts like a razor blade dug into it....uh Mac...."  
  
"Yes, Richie?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Goodnight..."  
  
Richie conked out and fell back down on the bed.  
  
"What happened?" Tessa asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I think that might have been a very strong anastethic Martin gave him, I'll have to see if he recommends anything," Duncan said.  
  
"Anything about what?" Martin came in.  
  
"What did you do the boy? A minute ago he looked alive, now he looks like I don't know what," Duncan told him.  
  
"Just a little preperation," Martin told him.  
  
"For what?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Well, he needs to rest for a few days so his mouth can heal, when the funus started growing in there, it started indenting in his mouth, so he needs to rest it for a few days to make sure that when he does speak, he doesn't strike a nerve and add in the conversation ow ow ouch oof," Martin told them.  
  
"So what's this mean?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Well, while he's out from the anastethics, I'll have to give him a shot that'll make him sleep for 2 days, by then, he should be back to normal," Martin said.  
  
"That he'll never be," Duncan laughed, "and we wouldn't have him any other way, so after you give him the shot, can we take him back home?"  
  
"Of course, providing the police don't think you're sneaking out a corpse," Martin said.  
  
"Martin, right now your sense of humor is very trying, keep it up and you'll get your jaw busted," Duncan told him.  
  
"And you said MY sense of humor is trying," Martin said.  
  
After Martin gave Richie the shot, Duncan and Tessa took Richie home, both relieved he was going to be allright after a couple of days, when they got back, Duncan took Richie into his room and put him in bed, then he closed the drapes and joined Tessa in the kitchen.  
  
"How is he?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Practically a zombie, but that's to be expected, I'll say this, he looks more peaceful now then he has in the last week," Duncan said.  
  
"I'm just glad he's going to be allright, how did he get that anyway?" Tessa asked.  
  
"They don't know, it's a rare case, the ratio of people who don't get it to those who do are about 20-1 I think," Duncan said.  
  
"What do you think he's going to be like in 2 days when he wakes up?" Tessa asked.  
  
"Mmmmmm....restless, hungry, and completely clueless as to why he slept through Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday," Duncan said.  
  
*************************************************************************************************  
  
The next 2 days went by pretty smoothly, during that time, Richie was out like a light, hardly even moved, and even though they had Martin's guarantee of the sedative, Tessa snuck by the open doorway several times each day for the next 2 days just incase it wore off early.  
  
Come Friday morning going into early afternoon, Duncan passed by the hall and Richie's room when he heard something. It sounded a bit low, like someone was muffling through a gag or something, then it grew to a distinctive 'MAAAAAAC!'  
  
"I'm coming, Richie!" Duncan grinned, it was nice to hear the pain-in-the-neck talking again.  
  
Duncan ran over to Richie's room and collided into Tessa on the way in, they found Richie standing on his bed looking almost hysterical.  
  
"What's the matter, Richie?" Tessa asked.  
  
"What's the matter? What's been going on around here? I feel like I've been asleep for years," Richie turned to his window and opened the drapes, "Have I been sick?"  
  
The only time Richie had the curtains drawn in the day was when he got sick and didn't want any light, sound, or any other disturbence.  
  
"Not really, just resting, so Tough guy, how's the mouth?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Fine, but.....wait a minute, it was already going on late afternoon after the operation, what day is this?" Richie asked.  
  
"Friday," Duncan answered.  
  
"Friday?" Richie repeated, "You let me sleep for 2 whole days? What in the hell is the matter with you, man?"  
  
"Richie, calm down, the doctor said you needed to rest because of an aftermath of the surgery, so he gave you a shot that MADE you sleep for 2 days," Tessa said.  
  
"Are you serious?" Richie asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well why didn't you say so?!" Richie asked.  
  
It wasn't what he said but how he had said it that seemed funny to them, the way he said it was like a mixture of screaming and whining, however, Richie was very serious, which was why he took offense when he saw Tessa laughing.  
  
"What's so funny?" he asked.  
  
"It's good to have you back," Tessa leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, that he also took offense at...  
  
"TESS!"  
  
"She's right, it's good to have you back, don't ever change," Duncan laughed.  
  
"I don't think I have a choice," Richie said, "if I try, odds are you 2 are gonna hogtie me."  
  
"Well I've never done it professionally, however.....if you should try something stupid, illegal or something that'll probably get you killed, maimed, or beheaded, I'll be glad to practice with you," Duncan said.  
  
"I'll have to keep that in mind," Richie said.  
  
"Yes you will," Duncan said, "so, how do you feel?"  
  
"Ehhhhhhh, hungry, restless, and miserable," Richie said.  
  
"Miserable?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Yeah, I slept through Wednesday and Thursday without any explanation that anyone's going to believe, my friends are going to think I died," Richie said.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about that, I told them that you were recovering from rare and tempromental surgery," Duncan told him.  
  
"....Thanks," Richie muttered, "you didn't tell them what kind, did you?"  
  
"No, I just told them that it was very rare, and you may have died from it, if not that, your skull may have caved in."  
  
"Ah, graphic detail huh?"  
  
"Some, then I started going into detail of what would have happened had you NOT received the proper treatment, they didn't find that too pleasant," Duncan laughed.  
  
"Well thanks, you saved my reputation on the streets," Richie said.  
  
"Well, it was the least I could do."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Remember when I said that there was a plus side to your annoyance?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Yeah, so?" Richie asked.  
  
"Well...remember a minute ago when you were on your bed screaming at us?"   
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"So that's it, it's good to have you back," Duncan said.  
  
"Really?" Richie asked.  
  
"Of course, incase you forgot, the last 3 days have been quiet around here," Duncan told him.  
  
Richie didn't know what to make of what Duncan just said, but he knew for a fact that he was right, it was good to be back. 


End file.
